Scenes From Wrocław, Poland
Andy and I are slowly working our way through as many Polish cities as possible. I can’t even really articulate why it is that we love Poland so much, but we both feel strongly that it’s a wonderful country. So next on our list was the city of Wrocław, located in southwestern Poland. Here’s how we spent our time in Wrocław.
Wrocław old town
Despite being a less popular than Krakow or Gdansk, Wrocław’s old town was packed with people. There was some kind of spring festival going on, so that added to it. Like most Polish cities we’ve been to, the main square had buildings in the center rather than a big open square like you might see in Spain. Eventually we discovered this one was more than just a few buildings in the center, it was big enough to have a set of small streets with almost hidden shops and restaurants.
Polish architecture is pretty to look at, and we did lots of wandering around and admiring the scenery.
The dwarfs of Wrocław
Wrocław is known for its dwarfs. They are small statues, about a foot tall, scattered all around the city. The first ones were created to commemorate an anti-communist movement, and their charm continues to spread. I’ve seen it noted that there are 165, but some say even as many as 350. We didn’t go out of our way to find any specific ones, but we did see a handful. Some of the dwarfs we saw tied in with the building they stood in front of, like a professor in front of the university and a sleeping dwarf in front of a hotel.
Multimedia Fountain
A short tram ride out of the old town is the Multimedia Fountain. It sits in a park, and the fountain dances around throughout the day and night. But the real show is on the hour when it’s more of a choreographed performance with music. Apparently there are lights at night, but we visited during the day. It was short, but definitely impressive.
Wrocław from above
For views of Wrocław from above, we did some searches and found a few options, including a modern building a little ways outside the old town and a couple of churches. Ultimately we decided it was way too hot to climb the church towers, so we decided on the modern building, even if it wasn’t right in the center.
But then we saw people at the top of a building in the university area. This was on the list I found, but we dismissed it for not being tall enough. Seeing it in front of us though, we decided this looked a lot better than some office building, so in we went. It was the Museum of the University of Wrocław, and the cheapest ticket we could buy included the Mathematical Tower and one other section of the museum.
Where to eat in Wrocław
Andy and I have really fallen in love with milk bars during our trips to Poland. They are usually cafeteria style restaurants serving simple, homemade food at low prices. The food is usually really good, and it’s an easy way to not overeat. We found a few to try in Wrocław but ended up at the same great place called Mishmash for lunch every day. We each filled a plate with sausage, chicken, sides, and other items, plus either a water or a soda each, and it cost us about 7 euros total.
Another place we went to several times was Motyla Nogaaa, a gastro pub located in a former prison, though you probably wouldn’t know it by looking at it now. They had a small menu with burgers, fish and chips, a few salads, and some other interesting items. We ate there a few times, but we also went in just for drinks a few times.
Despite our love for Polish food, we didn’t end up eating a lot of it while in Wrocław. If you happen to be in the mood for some cheap Thai food or you just need a change from Polish food, check out Pha Tha Thai. We ate there a few times and had several tasty meals, and they spoke enough English to understand my request for no egg.
For breakfast one day, we went to Central Cafe a little outside the old town. I decided to cheat on my no gluten rule and indulge in some pancakes. These pancakes were served in a skillet and had bacon layered in between each one. The syrup was so thick it probably needs a different name, and it was kind of hard to eat, but aside from the syrup, these pancakes were pretty amazing.
Where to stay in Wrocław
Andy and I are becoming quite snobby about hotels, I think. Gone are the days when we could handle sleeping in bare-bones hostels or guesthouses. Maybe it’s because we’re getting older and crankier. In any case, I LOVED the hotel we chose in Wrocław! It was the Sofitel Wrocław Old Town, and we’re already planning on booking there next time we go to Wrocław, which will hopefully be in December.
The Sofitel staff were super helpful and friendly. I asked the concierge about getting a couple of shot glasses because we were going to get a small bottle of Polish vodka to drink in our room, and not only did he get them and bring them up to our room, but he offered to go to the shop next door and pick up the vodka for us!
The bed was sooooo fluffy and comfy…I was in heaven. It had a feather topper on it, and even though I hate feather pillows, the mattress topper was wonderful. They also had a pillow menu, and we tried three or four different pillows, just because we could.
The location was also perfect. We were just steps away from the main square and easy walking distance to anywhere we wanted to eat, including all the restaurants I mentioned in the section above. It was also easy to reach by public transport, just a few blocks from several different tram stops.
Book the Sofitel Old Town on Booking here, or read the reviews on TripAdvisor here.
Andy and I have fallen hard for Poland. We didn’t even do that much in Wrocław, but we loved it. And luckily it’s only a little over 4 hours away by bus, so we’ll definitely be back. We’re already talking about going in December for a few days for Christmas markets. I highly recommend adding Wrocław to your Poland itinerary.
You might also enjoy:
- How Much We Spent Traveling in Gdansk & Krakow, Poland
- Things to do in Gdansk, Poland
- Things to do in Krakow, Poland
- How Much We Spent Traveling in Poznan, Poland
- How Much We Spent Traveling in Wrocław
July 9, 2018 @ 9:45 AM
Hi Ali, Great to see you love Poland. I really recommend getting away from one of these touristic cities though. Try places like Tczew, Starogard, Elbląg or Częstochowa. They are all cool cities where you will be the only tourist (or one of the only tourists). It’s a beautiful country but the real gems like in the unknown places. Safe travels. Jonny
July 10, 2018 @ 10:24 AM
Thanks for the suggestions, Jonny! We’ll definitely keep going back to Poland, so now I’ll have to do some research on those cities.
July 9, 2018 @ 1:43 PM
Love reading your posts. Sounds beautiful. Love ya. Be safe!
July 10, 2018 @ 10:23 AM
Thanks!
July 10, 2018 @ 3:55 PM
That looks lovely! I wish I’d had more time to see Poland while I was there.
July 12, 2018 @ 10:31 AM
Hi Steven! If/when you come back to Europe, I highly recommend spending some time in Poland. There’s just something about it, it’s a great country and we love going there. Helps that it’s so close to Berlin! Hope you’re doing good!
July 14, 2018 @ 4:02 AM
Hi Ali, I wholehartedly share your passion for Poland. Last July I visited for the first time – 3 weeks – staying in Gdansk, Warsaw, Krakow, Bielsko-biała and Cieszyn. My (late) Polish father Zbigniew (aka Paul) was just 17 when WW2 started and he emigrated to Australia with my mother in 1949. I needed to go to his homeland and fervently hoped I would feel a personal ‘connection’. Well I absolutely DID! Bielsko-biała is where Paul was born, orphaned at 7 he was brought up by a family in nearby Cieszyn. Hence, my reason for these small, ‘off the beaten track’ towns. I highly recommend them both and think you would find them charming. Truly, they are hidden gems. Next year I will return and my plan already includes Wrocław … so I was thrilled with your story and photos. You might remember (from other posts) that I’ll also be visiting Croatia and you have been helpful with this country along with its neighbours. What a coincidence it would be if you post from Italy soon as that’s also in my 2019 itinerary. BTW, I LOVE Berlin, your adopted home!
July 16, 2018 @ 11:05 AM
That’s wonderful, Christine! I will add those to my list of smaller Polish towns to check out, because I know we’ll keep going back. I am currently working on my posts about Slovenia and Croatia, so you should see those in the next few weeks. We didn’t make it to Dubrovnik on that trip, but Zadar and Split were pretty. I don’t have anything coming up about Italy (I’m so overdue for a trip to Italy!) but you can check out my Italy itinerary on my other site here, plus it has lots of links to other posts I’ve written about Italy. And I’m so happy to hear you love Berlin too!
July 16, 2018 @ 12:20 PM
Hi Ali. Love your post. Very informative. We are going to Wroclaw tonight from Dubai. We’ll definitely visit the places you recommended. Was checking the weather updates. It’s kinda confusing. It says it’s summer now in Wroclaw but will have some rains too and can be cold in the evening? Just want to make sure that we are bringing the right clothes- light clothing with some light jacket with hoods 🙂
July 16, 2018 @ 3:51 PM
Hi Aj! Yep, unfortunately Poland is pretty far north, so even though it’s summer, there could sometimes be some cooler days. I live in Berlin, so similar latitude, and I often wear jeans/pants in the summer. I’d say pack pants and shorts, and be ready to put on another layer over your short sleeve shirt in case it is a little colder. And yeah, it does look like it could rain in the next few days, so a light jacket would be helpful. It won’t be COLD though, not like winter or anything. I hope you enjoy Poland even if the weather isn’t cooperating!
July 20, 2018 @ 2:20 PM
Hi Ali. Thanks a lot! My apologies for my late reply. Got busy with our son’s school. We are now here at Wroclaw. The first 2 days was rainy but today it’s amazingly sunny but cool. We are here for 1 more week then we’ll head to Berlin and stay there for 3-4 days. Choosing between bus and train. I read you took the bus from Berlin to Wroclaw. Was it comfortable and safer than train? TIA
July 21, 2018 @ 2:22 PM
Yay! I’m glad you’re enjoying Wroclaw and that it’s not still raining! We used the Deutsche Bahn bus to get back to Berlin because it was cheaper than the train. The bus and train are both comfortable and very safe, I’d recommend either one. Check Deutsche Bahn here and FlixBus here to compare. I think Deutsche Bahn only has one bus a day from Wroclaw to Berlin (they are mainly a train company after all), but I’ve taken FlixBus many times around Europe. I love the train, always my first choice, but sometimes it’s more expensive. Pay attention to the end stops for the buses and trains, there are several options around the city.
May 20, 2019 @ 3:46 PM
Hi, I am exiting to visit Wroclaw this June. I am interest to find dwarf statues! is it difficult to find it? any tips? thanks 🙂
May 21, 2019 @ 3:27 PM
No, they’re not hard to find. There are tons of them all over the old town. Start in the main square and wander around there, and you should see a few. Then just look as you walk around on the different streets, and you’ll see them. They’re often in front of shops or other businesses. You won’t find all of them because there are sooooo many but you’ll see a handful!
May 23, 2019 @ 9:57 AM
Thanks a lot Ali